


Magnolia

by newdreams



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, Mostly Fluff, Post-Canon, mama fitzherbert, mother son bonding time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:20:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26167030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newdreams/pseuds/newdreams
Summary: Magnolia swallowed before speaking, breaking eye contact with Eugene. “I wish I had been there to see it.” He just shook his head.“You’re here now.”
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	Magnolia

Family brunches with the Corona family had become commonplace in the past couple years. Eugene had never expected he’d be eating with the royalty he stole from more times than he could count on one hand, but the french toast with fresh fruit was always gladly welcomed. 

Eugene’s mind had drifted from the conversation—not that royal business and princess duties were boring, but with Rapunzel back in the castle on a regular schedule, it was hard to escape. Rapunzel’s hand held his to keep him from floating too far, at least.

It wasn’t until Stan and Pete interrupted that Eugene was brought back into awareness. The guards stood silent in front of the gazebo that the meal was being held in, eyeing Eugene.

Frederic was the first to speak “...Can I help you two?”

“Oh, right!” Pete nodded. “There’s a woman waiting in the royal court for Eugene.”

Frederic gave him a look to continue, but not without a venomous glare in his son-in-law’s direction. Eugene shot him an offended look. The implication of an affair was not welcomed.

Stan watched Frederic and Eugene’s silent dispute in amusement before clearing his throat. “She claims to be his mother.” 

That got their full attention.

Rapunzel gasped with a smile, squeezing Eugene’s hand excitedly. But he didn’t quite know how to feel. His chest felt hollowed, and it was hard to swallow that lump that formed in his throat. Maybe it was a little dry out.

*

There she stood, her gaze steady as the stars. Eugene didn’t know who she was, but he knew her. He’d seen her in the portraits that littered the Dark Kingdom. Not even age deterred her beauty; she was thin with crows’ feet lining her eyes, her hair having grown grey stripes. It was all almost too much. Eugene couldn’t move his feet. 

So she came to him.

Her arms were warm around Eugene’s torso. The hug caught him by surprise, but he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her shoulders and bury his face into her hair.

“Mom,” Eugene managed to choke out. His voice wavered more than he expected. It was a little embarrassing.

His mother pulled back and looked at him with the kindest eyes he’d ever seen. “Horace, darling.” She rested a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into her touch.

Eugene replied with a sniffle and a laugh. “It’s actually Eugene now, Mom.” She used her thumb to wipe the tears from under his eye and nodded.

“Eugene it is then.”

*

Magnolia. Her name was Magnolia, and she was more than Eugene could have ever hoped for in a mother. She wasn’t a pirate, or an adventurer, or even a queen anymore, but she was perfect. Her smile was bright moonlight. Her laugh was warm sunlight. Eugene watched her carefully as the hazy glow of the sunset blanketed Corona.

On a bridge they stood, overlooking one of the streams that flowed through the Kingdom. They were enjoying one of Eugene’s stories from his time growing up. It was the one about the bar fight he had gotten into when he was seventeen. He certainly didn’t look seventeen, much younger, and had an unstoppable mouth. A lot of trouble ensued.

“I hadn’t expected you to become quite the trouble maker,” Magnolia spoke as leaned against the stone railing.

Eugene shrugged. “Only the biggest in Corona. No big deal, though.” She shoved his shoulder and then they stilled. Fell quiet.

Magnolia swallowed before speaking, breaking eye contact with Eugene. “I wish I had been there to see it.” He just shook his head.

“You’re here now.” A pause. He looked down. “How’d you get here anyways?”

She rolled her eyes, and looked a little too much like Eugene in that moment. “Oh, gods,” Magnolia gave a laugh through her nose, “long story.” But Eugene looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He had nothing but time.

When Magnolia spoke, it was with a lack of hesitance that Eugene couldn’t help but be jealous of. She told him of the Moonstone, and his chest ached with the weight of its history. However, she didn’t fall with the kingdom; Magnolia was shipped overseas to keep her identity hidden. The Dark Kingdom’s reputation perished and it wasn’t safe for her to stay if she wanted to resist the possibilities of attack. 

“Whether it was a delusional thought of your father’s or a false rumor,” Magnolia spoke softly, “I never died. I was always there. I left a piece of myself when I left the kingdom... I left you.” Casting her gaze away, she pulled aside the collar of her dress to reveal scarring on her skin. It looked like a burn. “...And that Moonstone sure put up a fight.” She laughed quietly, maybe just to fill the space. But when she looked back to Eugene, he wore a deep frown.

He reached his hand out to her exposed shoulder, stopping to wait for a welcome of his touch. When his mother nodded in approval, the skin felt rough under his fingers. It trailed up the left side of her neck and disappeared under her hair. 

Eugene pulled her in for another hug. “Nothing like that is going to happen again.”

She sniffed. “I know.”

*

“Maggie’s home!” Edmund shouted, his voice bellowing through the entire dining hall. Eugene couldn’t breath in his grip, squashed against Magnolia. And then Edmund started crying. Sometimes Eugene couldn’t comprehend how he was related to him, but at least they had it in common to cry at the sight of a beautiful woman.

Rapunzel flocked to Magnolia’s side the moment that she was free to talk. She, unintentionally, stole Magnolia from Eugene, but he didn’t mind. They lit up the room together. 

The greatest feast was served for dinner. The room was rumbled with cheerful chatter and smiles; there had been a lot of that in the recent months. The royal families had joined for the return of the Queen Magnolia, no matter how much she insisted they dropped the formalities. She secretly liked it though, Eugene could tell. He knew that tone of faux humbleness very well from experience. She missed being considered a queen, even if there wasn’t quite a kingdom to rule over again. 

“So.” She knocked her shoulder into Eugene’s. They dined next to one another at the table. 

“So.” He knocked back, quirking an eyebrow with question.

Magnolia nodded to Rapunzel from across the table. “You’ve got yourself quite the catch. Huh?” Eugene smiled and looked to his fiancee (calling Rapunzel his fiancee made his heart glow warm. He loved the ring it had). 

Rapunzel noticed his looking and waved to him before she returned to busy herself with building castles from her mashed potatoes. 

“I did,” Eugene responded. “I think she just might be the best person I’ve ever met.” He knew that she was for a fact. Magnolia gave him a smile that filled Eugene’s head with sweetness as her eyes watered, but she was quick to blink away her tears. 

Her tone stayed strong, even with her eyes glistening. “I’m so proud of you, Eugene.”

Eugene made a silent promise to himself that he wouldn’t cry again. That was proving to be hard.

“I love you, Mom.” 

“And I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you riley for proofreading !!!!  
> i'm actually pretty proud of this :baby eyes emoji: & i havent posted a fic here in ages so im like. excited.  
> anyways now im mad bc i want maggie in the series


End file.
